This past Saturday was a crisp, sunny autumn day on the Katy Trail, perfect for Bike for Bikes, the fifth bike-a-thon organized by the people of Trinity, St. Charles. While participation was down this year, fellowship was high. If you’ve not participated individually or with your parish, riders meet at the south end of Frontier Park and travel out for an hour then return.Youth and adults participate, water stops and checkpoints provided by the organizers, to keep participants safe and hydrated. After the ride everyone carpools back to Trinity for a great outdoor meal around a fire, the highlight being s’mores. Riders and churches contribute money for bicycles for the Diocese of Lui.

Trinity Rector Tamsen Whistler explained how this effort began. About six years ago when Bishop Bullen from Lui diocese was visiting, he stopped by Trinity on a Wednesday evening. He spoke about the civil war that had just concluded. He related the horrific story of his being removed from the cathedral at gun point by a young soldier, of thinking that he was going to be killed, of asking the soldier if they could pray together first, and of praying with the soldier in Arabic. In the silence surrounding the stories of the faithfulness and hope of the Christian people of Lui, a parishioner asked, “Bishop Bullen, is there something that we can do that would make a difference…something simple, something meaningful?” The Bishop replied that such a simple thing as providing bicycles would help enormously. Lui clergy often walk three to four hours between churches, on visits. Bicycles cut those hours dramatically.

Everyone at Trinity wanted to participate, particularly the youth. Being so close to Katy Trail, it seemed an obvious choice to ride bikes and tricycles and walk to raise funds for a few bicycles each year.

Over the past five years many parishes have taken turns supporting the effort. Trinity parish was also touched by the visits of the Rev. Stephen Dokolo, and claim to have introduced him to s’mores, which he pronounced as very good indeed. Dokolo is the Lui priest who was sponsored by our diocese to study at Eden Seminary, and has now graduated and returned to Lui Diocese. For several years Dokolo won the award for bike-a-thon participant from the farthest distance. Saturday those honors went to Bastian Tolksdorf, a 16 yr old from Ludwigsburg, Germany, who is in St. Charles as a part of their sister city program.

It’s not too late to support Bike for Bikes, even if you weren’t able to ride this year. Checks will be gratefully accepted at Trinity Episcopal Church, 318 S. Duchesne St. Charles, MO, 63301. On Saturday, riders received bright orange wristbands that read “Biking for Lui” and “Praying for Lui,” and there are wristbands left. Until the supply runs out, a minimum donation of $5 will secure one of the remaining wristbands. Please note on the check for Bike for Bikes and if you would like a wristband.

More photos from the event…

• Cathedral Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust St., St. Louis, MO 63103, ph 314-231-3454, www.christchurchcathedral.us
• Trinity-CWE Trinity Episcopal Church, 600 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108, ph 314-361-4655, www.trinityepiscopal.net
• Trinity-St Charles Trinity Episcopal Church, 318 S. Duchesne, St. Charles, MO 63301, ph 636-949-0160, www.trinity-stcharles.org